4 Ways To Reduce Your Environmental Paw Print

Pet advocate, Anneke van den Broek, shares 4 ways to reduce your environmental paw print:

1. Swap products for eco-friendly alternatives!

Look at the products you are using for your pets and consider some alternatives. For example, clay and crystal kitty litters are mined from the earth, while Rufus & Coco award winning Wee Kitty Clumping Corn Litter is made biodegradable corn, which, in small amounts, can be flushed down the toilet.

Plastic dog poo bags can be swapped for a shovel or paper towel when at home.

2. Buy food in bulk or make your own to reduce packaging

Food is a big contributing factor to pet’s environmental paw print! One book “Time to Eat the Dog? The Real Guide to Sustainable Living” suggests that a medium-size dog could have a similar footprint to a large SUV Owners.

As animal diets are largely meat based, which has a larger ecological footprint than a plant based diet – the best way to reduce the impact is to use every part of the animal, including organs. If you’re making your own food, seek expert advice on what to add.

3. Desex your pets and adopt don’t shop

It is important to prevent the spread of unwanted pets that wreak havoc on our environment and end up in shelters. By de-sexing your pet and adopting from a shelter rather than buying from a breeder, you can reduce the number of unwanted pets that end up in shelters and being euthanized.

4. Buy quality not quantity

Rather than buying your pet dozens of low-quality toys, invest in a few durable toys that will last for many years, and keep them on a rotation so your pet doesn’t get bored. The same applies to accessories – travel crates, leashes, collars, bowls and so on.

Buying toys that donate a percentage of sales to charities is another great way to contribute to the bigger picture. Rufus & Coco’s ‘I give a wag’ toy range donates to the Australian Pet Welfare Foundation – an organization whose goal is to bring unnecessary pet euthanasia to zero.